Physicochemical Characterization of Selected Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Cultivars

Abstract

The physical and chemical characteristics of five pomegranate cultivars (Mridula, Ganesh, White muscut, G-137 and Jalor seedless) were examined in the present investigation. Physical properties of different cultivars were determined such as major diameter (85.05 to 91.62 mm), intermediate diameter (76.85 to 87.83 mm), minor diameter (79.86 to 90.01 mm), sphericity (0.903 to 0.937), fruit weight (294.4 to 404.14 g), fruit volume (289 to 387 mL), number of arils per fruit, weight of 100 arils were evaluated and analysed for the varietal difference. In addition, properties such as peel moisture content (68.72 to 74.15% w.b.), aril moisture content (78.25 to 81.82% w.b.), peel ash content (0.81 to 1.51%), aril ash content (0.29 to 0.53%), juice pH (3.47 to 3.96), total soluble solids (11.60 to 13.00 °Brix), titratable acidity (0.42 to 0.58%), total phenolic content, juice yield per fruit (104 to 186 mL) juice turbidity (142.20 to 364.50 NTU) and textural properties, like fruit compressive strength/firmness of arils (23.09 to 34.54 N), cutting strength of peel (84.33 to 111.35 N) and aril skin puncture force (0.28 to 0.38 N) were also investigated. Overall results suggested that the measured physico-chemical properties were quite different by the cultivar differences.